The Growth of Podcasts and Why It Matters (Infographic)

Whether it’s for a laugh or to learn something new, nearly 68 million Americans listen to podcasts on a monthly basis — that’s nearly one in four people across the country.

Related: The 45 Best Podcasts for Entrepreneurs

And who are these podcast listeners? For the most part, they tend to be millennials. In fact, of the 68 million listeners, 44 percent are between 18 and 34 years old. Not only that but they also tend to be people who hold a bachelor’s or graduate degree (57 percent).

Not only are podcasts an easy and digestible media form, but it’s often easy to multitask while listening to them. Fifty-two percent of people listen to podcasts while driving, 46 percent while traveling and 40 percent while walking, running or riding a bike.

Related: 10 Podcasts That Can Change How You Think About Life

In the past four years, the amount of people who listen to podcasts has nearly doubled, from 12 percent of the U.S. population in 2013 to 24 percent today. And this growth has benefited the ad industry too: in the past two years, podcasting ad revenue has grown by double digits from $69 million in 2015 to a projected $220 in 2017.